Friday

Where we live in Florida we don't have a drastic change of seasons. Here's my fall door decor this year, I like to use purples, magentas, or wine colored flowers in my door decorations because our door and house trim is pale yellow and these colors go well with yellow since it is on the opposite side of the color wheel!

I will be on vacation beginning tomorrow and returning on Sunday, October 1st. I'm going to see my little grandson, Caden, again! He is seven weeks old now. I'm so excited to get to see him again. The weather is cooler there and he and I will spend a lot of good quality time together on the porch swinging, watching squirrels, listening to birds and I'll be singing "Jesus Loves Me" and other songs to him! I'm also excited about taking the train there! (Amtrack) Joe my husband will come and get me.

Wednesday

When baby Caden was crying I would take him outside on the porch by this fountain. The bubbling water was soothing to him and he would always stop crying! This patio is just outside the back porch of my daughter and her husband's house. Her husband, Shawn, works very hard keeping the yard groomed so nicely. I'm excited that I'm going back to visit Caden next week!

Shawn has the back yard landscaped beautifully. Shawn's mother bought him this statue of St. Francis, patron saint for animals and birds, for the yard (they are not Catholic.)

Why Saint Francis Loves the Birds most of all .St. Francis of Assisi loved all the birds and animals of the world. They were his special charges. Daily he would sit in the garden and the birds would perch on his shoulders, the squirrels would cuddle on his lap. The rabbits and foxes and the animals of the forest would sit at his feet. All the animals adored him.

St. Francis was especially fond of a small bird who would sit in his window and wake him in the morning with his sweet song. In the evening the little bird would again sit in the window and his sweet song would lull St Francis to sleep. Each day St Francis would save the crumbs from his breakfast for his good friend, the little bird. The little bird would accompany St. Francis on his daily chores and would cheer him up with a song when St Francis seemed sad. The little bird would sing with joy when St. Francis smiled. One day the little bird went to the window to waken his friend with a song, only to find that St. Francis was not there. Puzzled, the little bird asked of the squirrels "Where is our good friend?" the rabbits did not know. Then the little bird asked the wisest of creatures, the owl, "where is our good friend?" the owl looked sadly on the little bird and said " He has gone to join his Father." The little bird smiled and said "Then I shall go and join him also!" The owl told the little bird " No my little friend, St. Francis has gone to heaven. Only humans can go to heaven. You must stay here on the earth with us." The little bird drooped his wings and began to cry, so sad to think that he would never see his friend again. Suddenly, he lifted his head and dried his tears. "there must be some way that I can get to Heaven too! "Tell me", he asked the owl. "Where is Heaven?" "Oh, little bird", said the owl, "it is so far up in the sky that you could never reach it with your tiny wings!" I can do it! Whispered the little bird to himself. "I MUST DO IT! " The little bird gathered all his energy together and flew up into the sky, higher and higher he flew. He went up above the clouds and still flew on. Higher and higher until he had no strength in his wings. With a sob he said " If I can not be with my friend, I will just die!" With that he folded his wings and started plummeting to the ground. He closed his eyes in resignation, ready to give up his life.Suddenly, a bright light shown down from above and lit upon the little bird. A puff of wind lifted the little bird up. He opened his eyes and saw far, far above him the face if his dear friend. The little bird rejoiced and with renewed vigor he started flying again. Higher and higher until he reached the hand of his friend St. Francis. The two rejoiced in their reunion with one another." Owl told me that birds cannot go to Heaven", the little bird said. " Your devotion to me has earned your right to join me here in my Father's home." St. Francis said. " From now on, all birds and animals of the world will have a place in Heaven with us. "And to this day, whenever a little bird who loves his owner dies, when ever a dog or a cat or other pet loses his grip on this world, St Francis of Assisi reaches down from above and lifts the little one up to Heaven, there to await the arrival of his dear friend. -Author Unknown

Saturday

My son-in-law, Shawn (Caden's dad,) grows orchids and has over 20 in his house and on the porch. This one was blooming when I was there. I especially like this yellow orchid because it reminds me of an orchid corsage I received for prom when I was a teenager!

Monday

How could we forget? Each one of us remember vividly exactly where we were and what we were doing when we first heard about the terrorist attack on our country. We held vigil beside the television set as we watched in horror over and over again the scenes that looked more like a movie setting. Our lives were changed, never the same. So many lives lost, so much pain and sorrow. As Christians we ask how could any good ever come from something like this?? With prayer. We can pray when nothing else helps. Some people who never prayed started praying. People started looking at their lives differently. Material things weren't so important anymore. What is important when our days on earth could be numbered? Peace. Peace in our hearts. Peace in knowing we are doing what our Heavenly Father expects of us. Peace in knowing we will meet our loved ones again in Heaven no matter what happens.

Now with more and more natural disasters occurring, it certainly gets ones attention, makes one think "what if?" Yesterday here in Florida we experienced an unusual earthquake for this area. More hurricanes, more floods, more crime. Innocent people, young and old have lost their lives. What can we do? Pray. Pray for peace in our own hearts. Pray for peace even when we fear. He is my refuge and my fortress, in Him will I trust.

Saturday

To the new visitors to my blog: If you check my archives you'll see I am a collector. Okay, I'm the Queen of Collections!! I collect many things, my favorites being things with yellow roses. I have a collection of yellow rose tea cups. I don't think I have ever featured this one. It is so prissy with the little feet! When I have tea parties I let my guests choose the tea cup they want to use. The yellow rose tea cups are very popular!

This tea cup doesn't have a name on bottom, or any stamping. I won it on Ebay. It sits on my monitor so I can see it a lot.

I'm scolding myself for not keeping a record of the things posted on my blogs. Sometimes when I have nothing to do (HUH??) I may go back through the archives and do this. If Mr. Blogger were smart he would offer to sell our own monthly archives to us! Wouldn't that be a good idea! I would buy mine, if they weren't too expensive. I would like to have mine on record, even printed out so I could put them in a photo album. I'm a Creative Memories consultant (for almost 11 years!) we teach our customers to make a Treasure Album. A Treasure Album has a record of your valuables and treasures (they aren't always expensive) these could be family mementoes, dishes, toys, whatever. Adhere photos of your treasures on each page with journal boxes describing the treasure, dates, family names, what it cost, what it's worth, etc. This is a great way to have a record for your children so when you pass on they won't throw the treasures away - or sell them for a quarter in a garage sale! Yikes! Who knows maybe they could sell them on Ebay for a fortune! (Groan! Perish the thought!!)

I'm starting another blog in addition to this one. The second blog is for photos of our grandchildren and other child related things. The second blog will be private, for my family and friends who are interested in seeing pictures of my grandchildren growing. If you would like to join us there please contact me.

Sunday

My husband's parents were married on September 3, 1934. They are both deceased now, but I want to dedicate today's blog to them and their anniversary. These photos are preserved in a family photo album. I also have a copy of the close-up photo framed and displayed in our guest room.

Saturday

Each Labor Day weekend I always think of Princess Diana because I remember so vividly the Labor Day weekend in 1997 when the world was shocked at her death in the car accident on August 31, 1997. She had just turned 36 years old on July 1st. She would be 45 years old if she were still alive.

I was a fan of Princess Diana mainly because both of my daughters were. On Diana's big wedding day my daughters set their alarm clock to get up at 4 a.m. to watch the wedding on TV taking place in England.

This is a Franklin Mint doll, and is 17 inches tall. She has on the dress she called her Elvis Dress! It has hundreds of pearls hand-sewn on the dress and jacket.

I still miss her. I think she did a lot of good in her short lifetime.

Friends visiting

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Prayer - before going on the internet

Almighty and eternal God, who created us in Your image and taught us to seek after all that is good, true and beautiful, especially in the divine person of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, grant, we ask You, that during our journeys through the internet, we will direct our hands and eyes only to that which is pleasing to You and treat with charity and patience all those souls whom we encounter. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Spiritual Sundays

Power of Prayer

My other blog, click on picture to go there

Yellow Depression Tea Cups

Yellow Depression Glass

Yellow Rose Arbor

Photo compliments of Amy http://TheCottageGate.blogspot.com check out her beautiful blog! Thanks, Amy for allowing me to use this photo from your yard!